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1) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer

Cards numbered 1 through 10 lie on a table. If two cards are picked at random, without replacement, what is the probability, as a fraction in lowest terms, that the two cards will have values within one of each other?

ANSWER: 5-Jan
1) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

In how many ways can 4 green, 2 yellow, and 2 red tee-shirts be given to 8 soccer players standing in a row if each player receives only one tee-shirt?

ANSWER: 420
2) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice

TSH causes the thyroid to produce more T3. When T3 rises, it flows through the blood to the brain to decrease the release of TSH. Which of the following is the MOST accurate and common term for this physiological phenomenon:
W) metabolic reaction
X) hormonal balance
Y) negative feedback
Z) endocrine action

ANSWER: Y) NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
2) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice

In mammalian kidneys, reabsorption of water occurs mostly in which of the following:
W) glomerulus
X) descending limb of the loop of Henle (read as: HEN-lee)
Y) proximal convoluted tubule
Z) Bowman’s capsule

ANSWER: X) DESCENDING LIMB OF THE LOOP OF HENLE
3) Toss Up - General Science - Short Answer

An object that is too small to be seen without a microscope is called "microscopic"; what is an object called that is visible to the unaided eye?

ANSWER: MACROSCOPIC
3) Bonus - General Science - Short Answer

What is the term for a glaciated trough partly submerged by the sea?

ANSWER: FIORD
4) Toss Up - Chemistry - Short Answer

Onions, shallots and leeks contain substances that cause our eyes to water. What element is common to the substances?

ANSWER: SULFUR
4) Bonus - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

Which of the following 1.0 molar solutions will have the largest change in boiling point from that of pure water?
W) Sodium bromide
X) Magnesium iodide
Y) Sucrose
Z) Potassium phosphate

ANSWER: Z) POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE
5) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

In an application where ductility is required, which of the following materials would be your BEST choice:
W) grey cast iron
X) copper
Y) granite
Z) 1040 steel

ANSWER: X) COPPER
5) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is NOT correct:
W) percent elongation compared to the known value for a material is sometimes used to detect impurities in metal
X) the modulus of elasticity for a material is derived from its stress-strain curve
Y) ductile materials usually fail with little or no plastic deformation
Z) a steel sample that is loaded beyond its elastic limit will not return to its original shape when the load is removed

ANSWER: Y) DUCTILE MATERIALS USUALLY FAIL WITH LITTLE OR NO PLASTIC DEFORMATION
6) Toss Up - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

A trigonal planar arrangement of electronic orbitals around an atom in a molecule most generally implies what type of hybridization:
W) sp
X) sp2
Y) sp3
Z) sp3d

ANSWER: X) sp2
6) Bonus - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

In the equation for the Gibbs free energy change, if .H (read as: delta H) is positive and .S (read as: delta S) is positive, then the reactions are:
W) product-favored only at high temperatures
X) product-favored only at low temperatures
Y) product-favored at all temperatures
Z) reactant-favored at all temperatures

ANSWER: W) product-favored only at high temperatures
7) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

If I denotes the intensity of a light wave and c denotes the speed of light, then what is the radiation pressure on an object that totally absorbs it?
W) Ic
X) Ic^2
Y) I/c
Z) I/c^2

ANSWER: Y) I/C
7) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

Which of the following properties does NOT belong to electromagnetic waves in vacuum?
W) The total charge is zero
X) The total magnetic charge is zero
Y) The total voltage along a closed path is zero
Z) The total voltage along a closed path is proportional to the rate at which the magnetic flux changes with time

ANSWER: Y) THE TOTAL VOLTAGE ALONG A CLOSED PATH IS ZER
8) Toss Up - Astronomy - Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a space observatory, launched in 2004 through the combined effort of Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, for the detection and study of gamma-ray bursts:
W) SOHO
X) SWIFT
Y) MOC
Z) international GRB

ANSWER: X) SWIFT
8) Bonus - Astronomy - Multiple Choice

How were the rings of the planet Uranus discovered:
W) astronomers in 1977 noticed stars were occulted by Uranus before the planet passed in front of them and reappeared afterwards
X) the Magellan 1 space probe took pictures of them
Y) the Hubble space telescope detected them with its infrared detector
Z) the rings are made of gases with certain signatures revealed in absorption spectra

ANSWER: W) ASTRONOMERS IN 1977 NOTICED STARS WERE OCCULTED BY URANUS BEFORE THE PLANET PASSED IN FRONT OF THEM AND REAPPEARED AFTERWARDS
9) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice

We are given two numbers that sum to 100, and we wish to make their product as large as possible. How large is that product?
W) 2100
X) 2700
Y) 3200
Z) 2500

ANSWER: Z) 2500
9) Bonus - Math - Multiple Choice

For the curve `y = x^2`, find the slope of the tangent line at the point (3,9)
W) 2
X) 1
Y) 3
Z) 6

ANSWER: Z) 6
10) Toss Up - Biology - Short Answer

What is the process by which particles move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, not requiring cellular energy?

ANSWER: DIFFUSION
10) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice

Which of the following substances is transported into cells via carrier-assisted transport?
W) Water
X) Carbon dioxide
Y) Oxygen
Z) Sodium ion

ANSWER: Z) SODIUM ION
11) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer

Give the value of c that completes the square of the following expression: `x^2 + 2/5 x + c`

ANSWER: `1/25` (ACCEPT: 0.04 or `4/100`)
11) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

Reduce the following radical expression to its simplest radical form: root2(root3(225)) (read as: the square root of the cube root of 225)

ANSWER: root3(15)
12) Toss Up - General Science - Multiple Choice

Galena is a primary ore of which of the following metals:
W) zinc
X) lead
Y) germanium
Z) tungsten

ANSWER: X) LEAD
12) Bonus - General Science - Short Answer

According to Aristotle, the portion of the Cosmos lower than the moon is made of what four elements?

ANSWER: EARTH, WATER, AIR, FIRE (accept in any order)
13) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

The mass of a raindrop is 4 milligrams. Which of the following represents the correct mass in grams of the raindrop?
W) 4 X 10^-3
X) 4 X 10^-1
Y) 4 X 10^3
Z) 4 X 10^6

ANSWER: W) 4 x 10^-3
13) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

A freely falling object has a constant acceleration of 9.8 meters per second squared. Which of the following is correct?
W) The object’s displacement changes by 9.8 meters every second squared
X) The object’s acceleration increases by 9.8 meters per second squared each second
Y) The object travels 9.8 meters each second
Z) The object’s speed increases by 9.8 meters per second each second

ANSWER: Z) THE OBJECT’S SPEED INCREASES BY 9.8 METERS PER SECOND EACH SECOND
14) Toss Up - Computer Science - Multiple Choice

The purpose of an ISDN network is to:
W) determine a server’s IP address from a domain name
X) translate binary files to text-based email messaging
Y) coordinate packet information for the many IP packets and addresses in an online transmission
Z) set a specification for digital transmission of data over analog phone lines

ANSWER: Z) SET A SPECIFICATION FOR DIGITAL TRANSMISSION OF DATA OVER ANALOG PHONE LINES
14) Bonus - Computer Science - Multiple Choice

In Oracle databases, a foreign key is:
W) a field which designates the language in which the table is represented
X) a key to decrypt the information in a table
Y) a mapping from a field in one table to information in another table
Z) a link to a web site about the table

ANSWER: Y) A MAPPING FROM A FIELD IN ONE TABLE TO INFORMATION IN ANOTHER TABLE
15) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

When charging a 10-farad capacitor, a potential difference across the plates of 5 volts develops. How much work was done on the capacitor?

ANSWER: 125 JOULES
15) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

Which of the following would be expected when the vacuum separating the parallel plates of a capacitor is replaced by air?
W) The distance between plates would decrease.
X) The potential difference would increase.
Y) The capacitance would increase.
Z) There would be a discharge across the plates.

ANSWER: Y) THE CAPACITANCE WOULD INCREASE.
16) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

Electrostatic is to Coulomb force as electromagnetic is to what?

ANSWER: LORENTZ FORCE
16) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

A solid material is heated to high temperatures. Which of the following occurs that allows a vacuum tube to work?
W) The material sublimes.
X) The material emits electrons.
Y) The material emits photons.
Z) The material expands.

ANSWER: X) THE MATERIAL EMITS ELECTRONS.
17) Toss Up - General Science - Short Answer

A term coined by Jack Niles in the early 1970’s to describe an office where workers can work at home on a computer and transmit data and documents to a central office via telephone lines, is:

ANSWER: TELECOMMUTING
17) Bonus - General Science - Short Answer

What is the largest possible 8 bit binary number?

ANSWER: 11111111 (ACCEPT: 8 ONES)
18) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

This instrument consists of two identical circular magnetic solenoids that are placed equidistant from a point where the experimenter wants a nearly uniform magnetic field, it is named in honor of a German physicist.

ANSWER: HELMHOLTZ COIL
18) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

A booster bag is
W) A homemade device used to boost the signal strength of wifi routers.
X) A homemade device that uses some material such as aluminum foil wrapped around it such that it acts as a faraday cage and can be used to steal store items.
Y) Thought to be the seventh simple machine.
Z) Used to create nearly uniform magnetic fields when electrical current is run through them.

ANSWER: X) A HOMEMADE DEVICE THAT USES SOME MATERIAL SUCH AS ALUMINUL FOIL WRAPPED AROUND IT SUCH THAT IT ACTS AS A FARADAY CAGE AND CAN BE USED TO STEAL STORE ITEMS.
19) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer

A graph has symmetry with respect to the origin and passes through the point (-2, 3). What other point must be on this graph?

ANSWER: (2, -3)
19) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

A line in parametric mode is given by the equations: `x = 1/2 t + 2` and `y = 2t`. What is the slope of this line?

ANSWER: 4
20) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

A long cylindrical wire with radius 5 mm carries a current I. At what distance from the axis of the wire is the magnetic field greatest?
W) 0 mm
X) less than 5 mm
Y) 5 mm
Z) more than 5 mm

ANSWER: Y) 5 MM
20) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

In a long cylindrical wire with radius 5 mm, how many times stronger is the magnetic field at the surface than it is at a distance of 2.5 mm from the wire's axis?

ANSWER: 2 TIMES
21) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice

A certain radioactive element decays over time according to the equation `y = R(1/2)^(x/300)` [y equals R times one half to the power of the quantity x over 300], where R equals the number of grams that were present initially and x equals time in years. If 1000 grams were present initially, how many grams will remain after 900 years?
W) 62.5
X) 125
Y) 250
Z) 500

ANSWER: X) 125
21) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

If `-4x - 9y - 3z = -10` and `-5a - 9b = -6`, then what is `-9b - 15z - 45y - 20x - 5a`?

ANSWER: -56
22) Toss Up - Earth Science - Multiple Choice

Which of the following best approximates the relative humidity in the stratosphere:
W) 1%
X) 10%
Y) 35%
Z) 50%

ANSWER: W) 1%
22) Bonus - Earth Science - Short Answer

Name the 3 cloud families based on their shape:

ANSWER: CUMULUS, STRATUS, CIRRUS (in any order)
23) Toss Up - Chemistry - Short Answer

What type of magnetism exists in substances in which electrons are unpaired and are very weakly attracted by magnetic fields?

ANSWER: PARAMAGNETISM (ACCEPT: PARAMAGNETIC)
23) Bonus - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

Which of the following diatomic molecules will exhibit paramagnetism:
W) B2
X) N2
Y) C2
Z) F2

ANSWER: W) B2
24) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice

A child who excretes black urine is born to two normal parents. The child has a recessive homozygous genotype. What is the most likely explanation for the genotype?
W) Spontaneous mutations
X) Consanguinity [kon-sang-GWIN-i-tee]
Y) Anticipation z) Environmental exposure

ANSWER: X) CONSANGUINITY
24) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice

Which of the following situations might cause disruptive selection to occur in a population of seed-eating finches on an island?
W) A hurricane that wipes out plants that produce medium-sized seeds
X) A hurricane that wipes out plants that produce small and large seeds
Y) A hurricane that wipes out plants that produce small seeds z) A hurricane that reduces equally plants that produce all sizes of seeds

ANSWER: W) A HURRICANE THAT WIPES OUT PLANTS THAT PRODUCE MEDIUM-SIZED SEEDS
25) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice

Which of the following has the lowest blood pressure:
W) anterior vena cava
X) carotid (Pron: ker-ought-id) artery
Y) femoral artery
Z) iliac artery

ANSWER: W) ANTERIOR VENA CAVA
25) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer

What formed elements in human blood release serotonin and thromboplastin?

ANSWER: PLATELETS